Following Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to Swansea City, the on-loan Birmingham City youngster told BBC Radio Stoke: "We don't feel like we're down.

"We are still hopeful of turning it around. There is a lot of ability in this team.

"And we feel that if we can just get a bit of luck then we can pick up points and climb the table."

Howland, 21, has now played six games on loan at Vale since his move from Birmingham on 23 January, but is yet to be on the winning side.

That has helped leave Lee Sinnott's side bottom of League One, now 11 points adrift of safety.

But, of their current run of just two points out of a possible last 21, two of those matches have been against the league leaders, Swansea.

And the Welsh side certainly had their fair share of luck at Vale Park on Saturday, their goals coming from a dubious Jason Scotland penalty just past the hour and Dutchman Ferrie Bodde's fortunate late tap-in.

"It was unlucky to concede the second in the way that we did but prior to that we had been under a lot of pressure so something had to give," said Howland.

"We're disappointed because we had a lot of play in the first half and perhaps should have been in front at half time.